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Keeping Your Pets Safe

Keeping Your Pets Safe and Happy During the Holidays!

The holidays are a wonderful time of the year. Family and friends gather to visit and everyone takes part in a healthy feast. Our pets are an important part of most families and quite often we want them to share in the same joy and festivities as the rest of us by sharing some of our holiday dishes.

However, many of the foods that we eat during the holidays can actually cause a great deal of harm to your pet’s bodies. Lets keep our pets safe this holiday season and learn about foods you should not feed them.

1. Turkey: a bit of turkey, maybe three or four small pieces, is a fine treat for your pet, but there are some risks though. Because turkey is a rich meat, if your pet isn’t used to it, it may make them sick. If it is basted with other ingredients, to be on the safe side, rinse any pieces you give to them. Avoid feeding them raw turkey and any bones from the bird. Raw turkey can contain bacteria such as salmonella and the bones are a chocking hazard and can splinter, wreaking havoc on your pet’s digestive system.

2. Gravy: Gravy is typically made from a sodium-rich meat broth mixed with flour for consistency and spices such as garlic and onion for flavor. It may be tempting to pour a little leftover gravy over your pet’s kibble, but with the high carbs from flour, high sodium and spices, it will most likely give them an upset stomach. It may seem like your pet eats gravy all the time when they are fed their canned food. Just remember that the gravy solution in your pet’s food is not the same as the one we pour on our food. Gravy in our pet’s food is prepared specifically for their type of digestive system.

3. Cranberry Sauce: Cranberries, when given is small amounts and raw, have healthy antioxidant and bladder benefits. Cranberry sauce on the other hand has far too much sugar and can lead to health concerns and possibly a holiday trip to the vet.

4. Vegetables: Vegetables are a part of almost every holiday dinner table, you’ve got green been casserole, potato salad and sweet potato casserole. Vegetables are typically a safe food to give to your pet, but only when they are lightly streamed with absolutely nothing on them. When you start adding salt, mushrooms or mushroom soup, spices and sugars is when they start to become unfit for your pets consumption.

5. Pumpkin Pie: Pumpkin is actually a very healthy treat to give to your pet in moderation as part of their regular diet. It helps provide healthy fiber and water to their body. Pumpkin pies or canned pumpkin with the spices already mixed in it for baking are a scary mix for any pet. The spices that are usually included in pumpkin pie such a nutmeg and cinnamon can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting.

This may bee a little overwhelming; but protecting your pet from harmful substances is something you do every day without thinking about it. Since the holidays are a bit more demanding and distracting, you may need to give your pet's well-being a little extra attention. Make the right choices so your pet can also enjoy the holiday season!